James h



(No Model.)

J. H. SLATER.

GATE.

Patented May 27, 1-890.

lNVENTOf? Wjm ATTORNEYS inclosure, rendering it necessary to remove hereinafter described,

UNITED; STATES JAMES H. SLATER, OF HART, MICHIGAN.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,864, dated May 27, 1890.

Application filed February 19, 1890. Serial No. 340,989- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs H. SLATER, of Hart, in the county of vOceana and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Gate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in gates, and more particularly to those used for guarding roadways or farm-inclosures, the objects being to provide a gate of simple construction and low cost, which may be quickly and conveniently adjusted for height above the road-bed to avoid snow, ice, or other obstructions, and, further, to furnish a gate with hinged connections which will permit it to be swung and to fold flat againsta fence in opposite directions.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the gate. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate closed and in its usual position, and Fig. 3 represents the gate closed While elevated to clear obstructions in the road-bed.

In many sections of the country the accu-' mulation of snow that becomes compacted and frozen completely bars the gates to an it laboriously when it so becomes an obstruction and the gates have to be opened. The gate which is herein illustrated effectually obviates the inconvenience mentioned, as will appear from the following description.

The gate A is preferably made of horizontal rails a, secured upon the uprights b o and attached at spaced distances thereon of a height to suit the situation to be guarded. Preferably four rails are provided, stiffened by the usual diagonal bar a, which is firmly attached to each rail as well as to the end uprights Z) c. The upright end bars 0 of the gate are made rectangular in cross-section, the other bar I) having a cylindrical body. At points properly removed from each other the posts B O are erected, these bounding the space or opening which the gate A is designed to close. The post' B, whereon the gate A is hung, is constructed of two pieces (I e, that have contact with each other. The half-section (1, that is planted in the ground, is rounded on the major portion of its surface, and from a lower point (1' to the top d a flat side is formed, which is inclined toward the gate A from the ground to the top end, this fiat leaning side being formed at right angles to the sides of the gate-rails a. The section e of the post 13 is of the same form as the other part (Z, with exception that it is shorter, its flat side engaging the flat surface on the latter-named piece of the post, so that it may be vertically adjusted thereon and bear upon it throughout its length.

The two portions of the post 13 together form an upright cylinder when in service, this conformation being secured by reversing the tapered body of the section e, so that its thicker part will be above, while in the piece (Z said thick end is below, and by its extension forms a butt-end, (not shown,) which is inserted in the ground. The two sections (Z 6 of the post B are bound together by the peculiar hinge-connections provided to suspend the gate A upon the post. Said hinges f f are paired, two of them being placed near the upper end of the gate-upright b and another similar pair located near the lower end of the same. The hinges f f consist of flexible straps or chains having sufficient length to be wrapped in S form around the upright I) of the gate and the post B, one end of a strap or chain being affixed to the surface of the upright 12 and wrapped half around it, the free portion being then wrapped about the post B in a contrary direction, the terminal end of this portion being secured to the side surface of the piece 6. This description will apply to the flexible hinges f, that are located one near the top and one near the bottom of the gate A. The adjacent hinges f are reversed in manner of attachment, so that each pair taken together form a hinge connection that will operate by the wrapping engagement of one piece, while the adjacent piece unwraps in an obvious manner, which action will allow the gate to be swung upon the post B in opposite directions and to fold flat against a fence at right angles to it, taking up no more room than its thickness.

When it is necessary to elevate the gate A above the road-bed or material on it, the piece 6 of the post 13 is upwardly moved to attain the desired elevation of the gate, which can be readily effected without loosening any part of the connections by simultaneously raising the gate and piece 6, to which all the hinges are attached. \Vhen the weight of the gate is upon the strap or chain hingeconnectionsff, these latter bind the sections of the post B together, the friction of contact between these pieces (Z 0 being sufficient to hold the gate projected horizontally at any point of elevation from the ground.

The post 0 is notched at h for the reception of a weighty latch 7L, which is pivoted between the upright bar 0 of the gate A and latches fast to the post. Any suitable number of notches may be made in the side of the post 0 to aitord means for securing the gate A at different points above the ground.

Two prop-sticks 7a are loosely secured to the lower rail of the gate, which will engage the road-bed and hold the gate open on either side of the post l3, upon which it may be swung.

Any flexible material can be used to form the hinge-joints, leather straps being available, 01' pieces of halter-chains may be utilized for the purpose.

Owing to the simplicity of construction and cheapness of material used in the manufacture of this gate, it is particularly available for use on farms, where numbers of gates are provided to guard entrances into fields from a road, although it may be used at any point Where a gate is needed.

I'laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a rectangular gate havingone of its upright end bars made cylindrical, of a cylindrical supporting-post comprised of two reversed wedge-shaped sections and strap or chain hinges attached near the top and bottom edges of the gate upon the loose section of the post and also upon the cylindrical gate upright-bar around which the hinges are oppositely Wrapped in S form, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a rectangular gate having one upright end bar made cylin' drical and a post having spaced latchingnotches formed on it to engage the latch of the gate at different heights, of a rounded supporting-post longitudinally divided into wedge-sections, which are reversed, and two pairs of reversed Wrapped chain or strap hinges secured by theirends to the loose section of the post and by opposite ends to the rounded upright gate end bar, substantially as set forth.

JAMES II. SLATER.

Vitnesses:

l). G. \VICKHAM, JOHN R. BUTLER. 

